Doctor Who

[Jedinovice]

Hey, I liked Captain Jack! He was a welcome break from Eccleston’s seriousness (I heard one review describe him as the Doctor-as-angry-divorcee and I really can’t argue with that, no matter how great he was) and Rose’s…well, being Rose. So he’s a spacefaring James Bond – so what? He’s still entertaining and that’s the whole point. The actor’s personal life has no relevance either.

Oh, and Arena was pretty fun, but Daggerfall is where it’s at

Hey, if you enjoy it and can handle it, cool!

For, personally, I could handle the first series even with Captain Jack but knowing the script editor had a specific agenda, not a worldview but an actual agenda, and seeing it coming out in my one time favourite TV show became too much in the end.

I also know Davies is going to leap in Series 3 when the sexual orientation regulations are in. Indeed, I’m expecting the British TV stations will go nuts to present homosexuals in their TV shows. I confess, my ability to digest the endless anti-religious/pro-gay TV (in various forms) has just proven too much for me. But then again, as I say, I see what others don’t so do carry on and ignore me! If you ain’t sensitised enjoy!

BTW, I’ve played ‘Morrowind’ which I throughly enjoyed but was FAR too weighed towards Melee characters and had zero reply value (only my brother could replay it.) I’m playing Arena 'cause a work colleque gave it to me!

 

[Gamera]

Who’s RTD?

 

[Jedinovice]

Who’s RTD?

Russel T. Davies - Script Editor and main writer for the new Doctor Who series. Responsible for ‘Queer as Folk’ and anti-religous drama ‘The second coming’ (in which Jess comes back and no-one cares so God gives up in a puff of disinterest) as well as Doctor Who.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_T._Davies

The script editors job is partly to write episodes for a TV series but more to control the format, continuity, themes and vision of the series. Thus, RTD controls what Doctor Who is as a script level.

 

[Digger71]

The relaunch series is excellent. We are on series 3 in the UK, and it is a hit.

The first series is brilliant, and if you havent seen An Empty Child and The Doctor Dances you are missing out on a lot, the latter has some great lines. In particular about a banana, putting up shelves and resonating concrete.

The Doc is clearly traumatised about something…the effects are good, and the dialogue is excellent.

Talking of trauma, Fathers Day is a real tear jerker.

Series 2 is more hit and miss. School Reunion actually comes of as one of the best (Sarah Jane…oh Sarah jane), with the school master as being wonderfully menecing (the film crew thought they were filming the master, but were wrong). The French one (I forget the name) is actually brilliant.

There is, however, somethig horribly smug about the Doc and Rose.

The third series starts badly. The first episode was so poor that when the tracking went on my VCR I didnt bother to fix it.

Episode 2, however, got me thrown out of the kitchen and the lounge because people couldnt concentrate for me laughing, gigling, and explaining the plot over and over and over and over again.

I was sent to the office with my figurine collection.

The series is unabashed about being modern, liberal, open minded. The main authors are gay, and this is no surprise, those who saw Queer As Folk will remember the final scene of a video sliding in to the VCR, the protagonist getting very comfortable on the sofa, and just when you think it’s going to be grunting and panting the ghostly cords of the Doctor Who theme tune are played.

Disturbingly for many straight fans, the Doctor is HUGE in gay circles. i have always put it down to his outsiderishness…and that scarf TB had.

My favourite Doctor is Number 7. Sylvester McCoy, series 2. The only doctor who ever gave a sense of power and intelligence. Ecclestone is a very close second. One more series and he would have had top spot.

Little known facts:

In the first series, each episode had as many special effects as a full length movie.

Boom Town was written because they ran out of budget

Chris and Billie were not speaking by the end of the first series

The BBC consider this a flag ship show

I was asked to write stories for the cartoon and comic.

 

[Digger71]

I confess, my ability to digest the endless anti-religious/pro-gay TV (in various forms) has just proven too much for me. But then again, as I say, I see what others don’t so do carry on and ignore me! If you ain’t sensitised enjoy!

Episode 3 of the latest series even has what might be considered a pro-religious message.

 

[MikeWM]

Oh, well I’m just about the biggest Doctor Who fan around. Yep, I’m a geek on this one I’m afraid

Mike

 

[MikeWM]

Me too! I’ve seen every Doctor since William Hartnell first played him in black and white.

You didn’t happen to own a video camera and tape any of the ‘missing’ Hartnell or Troughton episodes in the 60s, by any chance?

The new show is superior to the old ones in many ways,

I think they’ve done an excellent job of bringing it ‘up-to-date’ while keeping it basically true to its roots. A bit like Star Trek:TNG managed, I suppose.

but the same old spirit of irrevent fun, so rare in series sci-fi, is intact, which is what attracted me to the series in the first place.

I agree entirely. There is a place for ‘serious’ sci-fi, and there is a place for ‘fun’ sci-fi, and Doctor Who does an excellent job of being able to be in the ‘fun’ camp but can do serious when it needs to.

Mike